Hiding Behind a Mask
by chasingdusk
Summary: It's been two years since Sora last stepped foot on Destiny Islands and he intends to never go back. But when an invitation to one of Selphie's outrageous parties appears on his doorstep will he accept? [YAOI] [SoraxRiku]
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. This fan fiction has not been written for profit and no money was made off of it.

Title: Hiding Behind a Mask

Pairing: SoraxRiku

Rating: PG-13

Summary: It's been two years since Sora last stepped foot on Destiny Islands and he intends to never go back. But when an invitation to one of Selphie's outrageous parties appears on his doorstep will he accept? YAOI SoraxRiku

* * *

It was stifling hot outside while Sora was walking home from school. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and shrugged his heavy backpack higher on his shoulder. He kicked a large pebble and watched it roll out into the street, just barely missing the tire of a car. A warm breeze lifted his heavy brown spikes away from his face giving him brief relief from the heat. Summer had finally come around the bend and final exams were over. Now he could focus on the fun things the vacation had in store for him. A honking horn sounded to his left, he looked up and winced from the glare of the sun. A woman with light brown hair rolled down the window of the car and smiled brightly up at him.

"Hi honey."

He smiled back at her. "Oh, hey mom." He then noticed the many plastic bags piled in the back seat. "Go grocery shopping again?"

"Yup." She looked back at the huge pile. "I had time after work, but I think I over did it this time."

"Yea, it looks like it."

She slowed the car down to match his pace and he noticed that a long line of cars were forming behind them and most of the drivers didn't look too happy.

"So, how was school?"

"Uh, I'll tell you more about it when I get home." He tried to ignore the man who was giving him a nasty glare. "You better get going, I'll see you in a bit."

She patted the empty passenger seat beside her. "You can tell me about it right now."

He paused, not really wanting to but –

HONK!

"All right." He quickly opened the car door and got in. He enjoyed walking home. It was an opportunity he never wanted to miss. It helped him relax and clear his head from the thoughts that clouded his mind during the day. His mother smiled warmly at him as he buckled his seat belt and he suddenly felt bad about feeling so selfish. He would do anything to make her smile and smiling wasn't something she did too often these days. Ever since Dad left she was up to her neck in work.

"So, how was school?" She asked again and returned her gaze to the road.

"It was fine. We basically sat around and chatted."

"Really?"

"Yea. Finals are over so why would the teachers give us more work?"

"I see, well that sounds like fun."

Sora looked out the window. "Yup, it was." The landscape flew by in a whirl of color; everything was so bright, so alive. It was if everything that was green was trying to show their true color before they got dried out in the summer months.

"Oh and before I forget," His mother reached into one of the car doors side compartments. "You got this in the mail today."

She tossed a small white envelope into his lap. He picked it up and looked at it curiously. The front was blank except for his name and address and the back was blank too. Huh, there was no return address.

"Well, go on. See who it's from."

"All right, all right." He gently ripped the top open and pulled out a frilly piece of paper. It was pale yellow with lace outlining its edges. He stared at in horror and suddenly had a bad feeling about whom it was from. Looking as if he were awaiting his death sentence he unfolded it and read it out loud.

Dear Guest,

You are cordially invited to the annual Masquerade Ball this Friday. Please dress in a costume that will completely conceal your identity. Be sure to look forward to a night filled with fun and festivities. We hope you can attend.

ASAP (484) 772-3636

Sincerely,

Selphie

The letter didn't stop though to Sora's growing horror. At the bottom of the page untidy scrawl was written exactly for him.

_Sora,_

_I know you don't want to come but I'm asking you just this once. Everybody will love to see you and I know you'll have a good time. So, stop being a self-centered, bitter, worrywart and come dance the night away like the party animal you are. I won't take no for an answer._

_Love,_

_Kairi_

"I am not bitter," he mumbled once he finished and crumbled the letter up in his hand. He had gotten an invitation last year too but he had turned it down. This year would be the same way, he wouldn't go, it would be too hard to face them anyway.

"You'll have to see them eventually, you know," his mother said quietly, reading his thoughts. "It sounds like they really miss you."

"I don't care about them. I'm not going." He discarded the envelope and its contents over his shoulder and into the back seat.

His mother chuckled. "You are bitter! Just listen to yourself!"

"Am not!" He groaned and buried his face in his hands. He knew he was being silly, but in truth he was utterly scared. He hadn't seen them in two whole years and the idea of facing them after ignoring all their letters wasn't something he wanted to deal with. He could easily recall the memory that had made him so upset. It was the day when he was leaving the island. His father had gotten a job on one of the more industrial islands and they had packed immediately and left. He could remember how sad and angry he felt when none of his friends came to see him off and being the stubborn fourteen year old he was he vowed to never speak to them again.

"If you keep your face like that much longer it will stay that way forever," his mother laughed as she turned the car right at an intersection to head down their street.

Sora rolled his eyes and continued to pout. "I'm not going."

"Too bad. You were invited and it would be rude to turn it down."

"But I -

She held up her hand. "I know how you're feeling and I know it's going to be hard, but, you can't feel this way about them forever."

Sora gave a defeated sigh. The car rolled into the driveway of their house and he hopped out of it as soon as it stopped. "Ok, I'll go," he said with one hand on the car door. "But.." He looked at his mother who was smiling again. "If only if it will make you happy."

Her smile widened. "Of course it will."

The brunette collapsed on his bed later that day; the idea of returning to Destiny Islands was making his head spin. He couldn't believe he had agreed to it. He rolled onto his stomach, wishing his headache would go away. What the hell had he gotten himself into? _And _what in the world was he going to wear? He knew it had to be something to hide his identity, something that would cover most of his face. In a way, the whole costume thing wasn't such a bad idea. Nobody would recognize him if he hid behind a mask the whole time. Feeling considerably better he reached for the phone on his night table. Now he had to deal with finding a costume and luckily he knew somebody that would help him no matter what.

An hour later the doorbell rang and Sora didn't hesitate to answer it. He turned off the TV and jumped from the couch and ran to the door.

"You're late Namine."

The girl gave him a pearly white smile and pushed past him into the house; she didn't even wait for him to invite her in. He smiled at her behavior. He and Namine had been attached at the hip ever since he stepped foot on the island and met her at the local ice cream parlor a few blocks over. Nothing could ever come between them; they treated each other like brother and sister.

"So, when's this big party?" She asked as she made herself comfortable on the couch where Sora had been sitting before.

"Not until Friday night," he replied and closed the door behind him. The couch sagged as he sat down beside her.

"Great, that gives us three days to find you something perfect!"

"Yea, hopefully it will be enough time."

"It will." She ran her fingers through her long blonde hair and eyed him thoughtfully. "Stand up."

"Um, all right." He stood and watched as she got up and circled him; one finger to her lips as if she was in deep thought.

"What're you doing?" He asked, suddenly feeling very unconscious.

She winked. "Just looking."

"Namine!"

"Oh relax! I'm just trying to picture something that would look good on you," she giggled and punched him lightly. "After all, I'm sure you've grown since the last time you saw them. And you want to make a good first impression don't you?"

He rubbed the abused arm. "I guess so."

"Aw, Sora! You're so cute! Those girls are going to fall head over heels for you!" She reached up to ruffle his already messy hair.

"Hey, stop!" He swatted her hand away. "And I am not cute!"

Namine raised her eyebrow and smiled. "You're right, you're not….you're sex on a stick."

He _swore_ he heard that wrong. "Huh?"

"Ugh! Sora you're so clueless!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him down the hallway to the bathroom.

"Just look at yourself." She shoved him in front of the mirror. "You're hot!"

His startled reflection looked back at him. Hot? What did Namine see in him? He wasn't _hot_.

Sora rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of what he was looking for. Well he knew he was considerably taller than two years ago and the stick thin body he once had was no more. He had filled out nicely thanks to the countless trips to the gym. His hair had gotten lighter but it still stuck out around his head like it had a mind of its own and his eyes were an unusually bright shade of blue that contrasted with his tan skin.

Namine smiled slyly at him. "Have you ever wondered why all those girls in our year had crushes on you?"

"They did?"

She slapped a hand to her forehead. "Boys! Oblivious to everything!"

"What's going on?"

Sora turned to find his mother staring at them with an amused expression on her face.

"Oh, it's nothing, it's just.." he began, but was roughly pushed to the side.

"Sora doesn't know how cute he is!" Namine wailed.

His mother chuckled. "He has grown up hasn't he? Well, he'll realize soon enough."

Sora rolled his eyes and tugged his friend back into the living room.

The next two days flew by in a blur and left him completely and utterly exhausted. Namine had planned a shopping spree that would take him all around town and to the mall. He couldn't even remember all the stores they had gone to because they went to so many. But in the end they did find something for him and it seemed to be a perfect fit because Namine wouldn't stop squealing at the top of her lungs when she saw him draw back the curtain of the dressing room. His ears were still ringing from all the noise. To make things worse the female sales lady wouldn't stop stalking him and any girl he passed would eye him up and down.

"They're checking you out!" Namine giggled. "See, I told you you were hot."

He had wanted to leave the mall then and there and never come back.

When Friday finally arrived he was almost relieved. The stress and anxiety that had built up inside him was beginning to overwhelm him. He rushed down to breakfast and wolfed down the plate of eggs and toast his mother had set out for him.

"Someone's hungry this morning," she said as she sat down across from him. "Eat slowly so you won't choke."

He chugged down a glass of orange juice and wiped his mouth. "The ferry leaves at nine o'clock and I have to pack."

The dishes clinked as she cleared the table. "You have two whole hours, don't worry, you'll have time."

"I know, but I promised Namine I would stop by her house on the way there."

"Ok." She put the empty glass in the sink. "But say goodbye to me now because I have to head off to work."

Sora got up and gave his mother a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you next Monday."

She hugged him tight. "All right, be safe and have a good time."

"I will."

"Hey Sora," Namine said brightly when she found her friend on her front porch.

"Hey," he replied.

"Is that all your bringing?" She pointed to the green backpack he was holding.

"Yup, pretty much," he said shouldering it. "But I'll be back Monday."

"Ok." She looked down at her feet and started tracing a crack in the wood with her sandal. A small silence fell between them.

Not sure of what else to say, Sora started down the steps. "Well, I guess I'll be seeing you."

"Have a good time," she said and Sora missed the look that crossed her face. It disappeared as quickly as it came. "Bye!"

"Bye!"

He turned left when he reached the sidewalk; he had just enough time to get to the ferry before it left. He hummed a small tune as he quickly walked towards his destination. It was lucky that his parents had bought a house near the ocean; he knew he could never live being too far from it.

"Sora!"

He whipped his head around.

"Sora, wait!"

Namine came running up before him and settled her hands on her knees to catch her breath. "I just wanted to know…." She paused and looked up at him. "Is that girl Kairi you told me about just your friend?"

"Of course she is," he said, wondering why she would be asking him this.

"Ok, good," she said straightening up and flipping her blonde hair behind her. "I just wanted to know."

He glanced at his watch. _Oh crud._ "I have to go Namine, the ferry is leaving in fifteen minutes."

"I know." And with that she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "I'll miss you."

Sora stiffened slightly at the contact but returned the hug anyway. After all, it was only a friendly hug. "I'll miss you too."

Namine released him and gave him a small push to tell him to get going. He smiled at her and continued on his way.

* * *

A/N: Good so far? looks around hopefully I know there wasn't any rikuxsora action yet but just wait, it's gonna get good! Look forward to some fluffy goodness in the upcoming chapters!

Reviews are greatly appreciated! I would also love to know what you guys think Sora's costume will be! I have some few ideas but I want to hear yours! I'll credit if I steal one! grins


	2. Chapter 2

Enjoy! Reviews appreciated!

* * *

Chapter 2

The ferry ride turned out to be quite pleasant, it was calming to watch the waves splash against the side of the boat and to have the wind in your face. Sora leaned farther over the edge of the railing and squinted at the black dot in the distance that was growing bigger every minute. There it was. Destiny Islands. A place he thought he would never return too. It made his insides squirm just thinking about what he would say when he first saw his friend's faces. _Hey, sorry I never got back to you. The letters..er..got lost in the mail. _Pssh…yea that would go over well.

He got up from where he was sitting and headed for the small concession stand in the corner of the deck. He ended up ordering a single scoop of black raspberry ice cream with chocolate sprinkles. It was his favorite. He plopped down in his previous seat and continued to eat it quietly. He failed to notice however, the pair of eyes that were watching his every move from a couple rows down.

Feeling slightly uneasy all of a sudden, like somebody was boring holes into the back of his skull, Sora looked around the deck of the ferry. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he returned his attention back to his desert.

After what seemed like over an hour but was probably only twenty minutes the ferry slowly stationed itself in the dock and the ramp was pulled down to the pier. He wiped his fingers on his jacket and threw his napkin into the trash bin. The floorboards creaked under his feet as he walked over to get in line to exit the boat. Somebody bumped into him, sending him stumbling a few feet. The person was obviously in a hurry and didn't acknowledge his apology or turn to glance at him. Sora only caught a glimpse of silver hair beneath the black hood. He furrowed his brow as he made his way down the ramp. _I hope the people who live on this island now are much nicer than that guy_, he thought.

Once he reached the bottom the sight he met was something he never expected. _I know these faces!_ Before him stood Waka, Tidus and Selphie. Selphie was holding a large white sign with _**Welcome home Sora!**_ Painted across the front.

"Hey," said the blonde who stepped forward. Tidus had changed a lot. He towered over Sora by a couple of inches and his hair was covered with red highlights. If it weren't for the uneven pant legs, Sora would have never guessed it was him. "Long time no see, buddy."

Wakka came up and slapped him hard on the back. "Back from the grave, ya? We thought we would never see you again."

Sora smiled sheepishly. Wakka wasn't the least bit different, that blitzball gear must be molded to his skin.

"Oh, leave him alone Wakka! He just got here," said Selphie. She carefully lowered the sign to the ground and engulfed the brunette in a warm hug. "I'm so happy you came! We missed you so!"

She let go of him and stepped back, eyeing him up and down. A broad smile found it's way toher face. "And you've grown so much!"

Sora looked down at his feet, feeling himself blush. "Er..thanks."

Wakka and Tidus tugged him away from the admiring looks from his friend and began walking with him towards the foot of the pier.

"Don't mind her," Wakka said. "She's been acting kind of desperate lately because of a recent break up. She'll to get her hands on anything that's male and walks on two legs."

Sora laughed lightly and turned to see Selphie trying to catch up with them. She must of just snapped out of that odd trance she was in. Why she was acting that way? Sora had no clue.

"So, what have you been up to these last two years?" Tidus asked as they reached a bus stop and sat down together on a blue wooden bench.

"Nothing really. Just, ya know, school, sports and stuff," Sora replied.

"How do you like the island you're living on now?"

"It's all right. It's a little bland living there because there's not much to do," He stared around at the light green palm trees and at the many beautiful flowers that populated the area. "I forgot how much I missed this place."

It was true. He had missed it, this island truly was his home with its quiet community and peaceful atmosphere. He didn't realize it until now, but, looking at his friends who were smiling eagerly at him; he had missed them too. Even though he held a two-year grudge with them he could immediately feel that melting away. A feeling of calm and content came over him as he continued to talk with his old pals about the life he led now. And he appreciated the fact that they never once brought up how he never responded to their letters.

After several more minutes a small bus rolled up to the curve and a man hopped out to usher them in. The four of them took seats in the very back of the bus; Tidus and Sora in one, and Selphie and Wakka in the other. Something dawned on the brunette once the bus started moving.

"Hey, where's Kairi?" he asked.

Wakka scratched the back of his head. "I don't know." He turned to Selphie. "Where is she? Wasn't she supposed to greet Sora with us?"

"She was, but at the last minute she told me she had to go meet somebody."

"Meet somebody?" Tidus repeated.

"Yea, she didn't even tell me who it was."

Wakka made a sound of disapproval.

"Way to ditch your friends."

Sora was crestfallen. Kairi was the person who he most looked forward to seeing and now she didn't even care about him.

"Hey, don't let it bother you," Tidus said seeing his expression. "She hasn't been the most reliable person these days, but, I'm sure she has a perfectly good reason for not being here."

"Yea, ok," Sora muttered. He didn't want to start this trip off on a bad note, so he completely wiped his mind of her and smiled at his friend beside him. "Where are we going?"

Tidus looked to the front of the bus. "We're meeting up at Selphie's house to hang out for a bit before the party starts."

"You guys have to help me with the decorations, you know," the girl chirped in.

"Yea, yea, we will," said Wakka. He looked over at the brunette. "So, Sora, do you have a costume yet?"

"Sure do."

"Care to tell us what it is?"

He smiled at the eager look on his friend's faces. "You'll see."

"Aw, but Soorraa! I wanna know!" wailed Selphie. "I'll tell you mine!"

Sora shook his head and laughed. "Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough," he paused. "That is if you can recognize me!"

He hoped nobody would recognize him. Namine swore it made him look like a completely different person.

"Oh, I'll find you," Selphie laughed. "It'll be easy to spot you with that hair of yours."

He tugged at one of the spikes. "Yea, I guess."

The rest of the bus ride was spent recalling memories of their times together before he had left. Sora was surprised at how much his friends remembered. He was especially fond of the memory of when he, Tidus and Wakka decided to give snowboarding a go and took surfboards down the roof of a house.

"And you were like, AHHHH!" Wakka laughed and widly gestured with his hands. "You broke your arm remember?"

"Yea, it hurt like a mother landing in that tree," said Tidus.

Sora smiled and rested his hands on the back of his head. He luckily didn't break anything but he came out of the experience with many bruises. "That was fun."

"It was," agreed the blonde.

"Hey you guys, I think this is our stop!" Selphie squealed as the bus slowed down to the corner of a street.

"Great!" Said Sora. He felt very giddy all of a sudden. All of the excitement building up inside of him for the day's upcoming events was overwhelming him. He got up from his seat and followed Selphie who had run down the aisle without waiting for them to catch up. As soon as he stepped off the bus a light breeze hit him in the face along with the fragrant smell of the nearby flowers. The sun winked at him behind the clouds, sending warm rays of light through the thick canopy of the trees. The whole scenery reminded him of a story book; it was perfect. He was going to regret it when the time came to leave.

Selphie lead the way to her house. Her skirt of her yellow sundress bounced around her as she ran ahead. "This way!" She yelled back at them. "It's not much farther!"

Sora had never been to Selphie's house before and the neighborhood he was walking through wasn't familiar. The whole place had a quiet charm to it with the large houses nestled among the trees and the many gardens in the front yards. The grass was a luscious green color and very clean cut. It made Sora think that if anybody even got close to a yard the owners would come running out with pitch forks and knives, screaming, "Touch the grass and **DIE!**" It all seemed a little bit intimidating.

Up ahead, Selphie skipped up some stone steps in front of a large white cape with red shutters. The house was definitely big enough to host a party and a pool could be seen out back.

"Nice," Sora commented as he walked up the driveway of the house.

"Seems like it could hold a circus, ya?" Wakka said and headed for the stone steps.

"Yea, it's really big. How many people are coming to this party anyway?"

"Too many to count," said Tidus from behind. "I don't even know half the people she invited."

Sora chuckled. "Well, ya know Selphie. Always the spontaneous one."

Tidus nodded his head. "And I believe there will be some people who she only met once but she invited them anyway."

The three of them finally reached the top of the steps and Selphie was bouncing in annoyance when they got there. "God, you guys took so long. You're as slow as turtles!" She opened the front door for them. "Kairi's here and she brought the person she was talking about."

Sora felt his stomach flip. He was finally going to see Kairi! But would she treat him as nicely as the others did when they first saw him? He hoped so. They walked into the living room and his doubts immediately vanished when brown hair clouded his vision.

"Sora!" The girl screeched. "Omg! I can't believe it's you! You're really here!"

"Whoa, take it easy Kairi." Wakka smiled at the girl who was obviously suffocating Sora. "Don't want to give the guy a heart attack, ya?"

"Hey, Kairi," Sora said peeling her arms off and getting a good look at her. She looked like her old self except for her long brown hair that fell down to her waist and the short mini skirt and tight top that gave way to her feminine features. "How have you been?"

"Great," she replied smiling brightly up at him. "I am so happy you're here."

"Me too."

A small cough distracted everyone and Sora saw there was one more person in the room he hadn't noticed. The person was leaning up against the wall with their arms crossed and watching them from under a black hood. _Huh, they seem familiar, _Sora thought. Kairi's smile was blinding as she tugged the person forward. "You guys, this is Riku. He was the one I was talking about."

The boy peeled back his hood revealing long silver hair and a face that was to die for. Sora forgot how to breathe then and there. Aqua marine eyes shined with silent amusement at all the slackened jaws in the room.

"Hi, I'm Riku," he said. His low masculine voice sent a shiver down Sora's spine. "Nice to meet all of you."

Selphie, of course was the first to speak. "I'm Selphie," she said. "Kairi never told me how hot her other friends were."

Sora inwardly cringed. Did the girl have to be that forward? But Riku brushed it off and gave her a dazzling grin that sent her to her knees. "Pleased to meet you." A puddle of goo formed where Selphie had been standing.

Kairi rolled her eyes fondly and turned his attention back to the other people in the room. "This is Tidus, Wakka and Sora," she said pointing to each of them in turn.

Riku's pretty eyes ran over each of them before resting on Sora and nodding. Sora's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. He could of sworn Riku had given him a small wink. The brunette ran a hand through his hair as a light blush creeped onto his face.

"All right, everyone," Selphie said now back to her full self. "Let's hop to it. Tidus and Riku, you guys go start setting up out in the back. Wakka, could you be a doll and fix up the sound system? And Sora and Kairi you guys get to work on the decorations inside the house." She started bouncing up and down on the soles of her feet again. "And I have to make some phone calls."

"What?" Wakka said. "You get the easy job Selphie!"

"Yea so," she said smiling and ran towards the stairs.

Everybody was left to their own devices and Sora found himself laughing and talking with Kairi like they were close friends again.

"Sora, you lazy bum," she giggled as she tried to help him untangle himself from the streamers. "The yellow goes in the kitchen and the black ones go in the basement."

"All right, I'll try to remember that," he said finally free of the evil rolls of paper. He grabbed the scotch tape and proceeded to tape a pink streamer over a doorway. He stretched out his hand for the rest of the streamer but Kairi wasn't paying attention. She was staring at him like she was in a trance, like the one Selphie was in earlier. He lowered his hand. "Why are you looking me like that?"

"Wha? Oh, sorry." She shook her head slightly and handed him the rest of the streamer. He reached up to tape it when he felt his shirt slip from his shorts and ride up, exposing his midriff. A small gasp sounded from behind him. He whipped around. "What is it?"

"Noth..nothing…" Kairi stammered. Sora raised an eyebrow. _Was she blushing?_

"Really, what is it Kairi?"

"I told you, it's nothing."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "I've been getting those kind of looks all day. Is there something wrong with me?"

"Oh no!" She said, taken aback. "Nothing's wrong with you Sora, it's just..just.."

"Just what?" He was clearly annoyed now.

She closed her eyes then blurted out, "I just can't believe how cute you've gotten."

Sora stared.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it to come out that way. But, just look at you Sora, you've grown so much since the last time I saw you and..and..well, you're really hot."

He buried his face in his hands. "Everybody has been telling me that lately," he mumbled.

"Well, it's true." She tentatively put a hand on his shoulder. "You're definitely not the Sora we remembered."

"But I want to be!" He said taking his hands away from his face.

She laughed at his obvious distress. "Don't worry, the Sora I knew is still in there but," she paused thinking. "You came with..er..extra benefits!"

"This is so embarrassing," he said staring at his feet.

"Don't be," she said and tilted his face up to look him in the eyes. "I like you just the way you are."

Sora smirked. "Is that a new pick up line, Kairi?"

He ducked the scotch tape thrown his way.

No sooner after he and Kairi finished, Selphie skipped into the room and ushered them to their next task.

"Selphie, are you sure everything will get done before the party starts?" Kairi asked as she was pushed into the kitchen.

"I hope so," she replied cheerfully, shoving Sora towards a counter full of food. "Everything is set up out back and all we need to do now is prepare the appetizers. I called a catering service for the main course."

Plates upon plates of little sandwiches and other delicacies covered the kitchen counters. Sora was especially fascinated with the mini hot dogs rolled up in what looked like tiny croissants.

"Hey none of that!" Selphie scolded as she slapped his hand away. "Don't eat any of that! All I need you guys to do is to set those plates out on the long white table outside, got it?"

"Yes sir!" Sora said in mock salute. "We shall not fail!"

"You better not, " Selphie smiled. "Oh, and get into your costumes soon. The party starts in an hour." She disappeared down the hallway.

Kairi tied her long hair back in a low pony tail and sighed. "Let's get this over with. My costume takes ages to get on."

Sora nodded and grabbed several plates at a time and headed out the screen door onto the back deck. The sight he met almost made him drop the food.

A huge white tent covered the whole yard and tiny white lights lined the edges. The railings of the deck were wrapped in streamers and pastel colored balloons contrasted nicely with the turquoise water of the pool. There were a cluster of small round tables and chairs next to the tent and accompanied by long white tables with already the main course set out to serve. But what really made Sora's inside squirm with excitement was the huge dance floor that laid out under the tent with a big crystal ball hanging from above. And not to mention the humongous sound system off to the sidewhere he could see Wakka working on from a distance.

Kairi stood beside him taking in the scene before them. Her eyes sparkled with complete awe and wonder.

"It's going to fantastic isn't it? I can't wait!"

"Yea, me either," Sora said as he adjusted his hold on the plate full of tomato, bazil and mozerella sandwiches. "I better get thse down there before I drop them."

They walked down the deck steps and successfully delievered the appetizers to their tables. On the way back they ran into Tidus and Riku. Literally.

Sora and Kairi had been absorbed in small chat when Sora tripped over one of the wires leading to the sound system and it sent him falling into Riku who was carrying a table with Tidus. The end result? Sora sprawled on the ground with Kairi and Tidus laughing their heads off. Luckily Riku had kept his grip on the table and didn't fall down too, but he smiled fondly at the brunette who was flat on his face, muttering curse words.

Sora picked himself up, humiliated that he had been so careless as to trip over a stupid wire. "Sorry about that," he muttered, brushing himself off. Oh god, his face was turning red again.

"That's quite all right," replied the silver-haired youth and flashed him a small smile.

Soralooked anywhere but Riku's face.

"Yea, no harm done buddy," Tidus added, grinning. "Let's hope you're not that clumsy out on the dance floor."

Kairi giggled. "He's not." She threw her arm around her friend's shoulder. "I remember him busting out some pretty cool moves back in the day. You can show them, right Sora?"

Sora stared at his feet. "Uh..yea.."

Tidus laughed. "Well, all right. But Riku and I gotta finish with this and then we'll meet you back at the house."

"Ok," Kairi said and dragged Sora towards the screen door.

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A/N: Yea, yea I know. No rikuxsora in this chapter, but just wait! The parties next chapter and you won't be disappointed!

I'm also working on another story called Incognito, you can find it on my profile page. It's also yaoi but featuring Sora and BHK (ya know from KH2 that's yet to come out!) so please take a look at it. I'd love it if you did!

P.S. Anybody willing to be a beta? Otherwise just pound me about my grammar mistakes in your review if I did any. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry about the wait! I hope you like this chappie, I had a blast writing it!

Oh, and thanks for all the reviews for the previous chapter! It means a lot to me!

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Chapter 3

_Deep breath……_

Inhale.

Exhale.

_Breathe Sora…breathe….. _

The party was only fifteen minutes away but guests started arriving a half an hour ago. Their voices traveled up the stairs and into the bedroom where Sora was fumbling with the clasp of his costume. His fingers moved clumsily and he was having a hard time concentrating. It also didn't help that he was really, really nervous.

Parties were never a big priority in his life. In the past he had been invited to a few, but the last one he attended was three years ago. All he could remember was sitting in the corner of the room, drinking punch and watching his friends with their partners, dancing innocently with one another. It was boring as hell and he left the party feeling like a loser. Kairi hadn't even asked him to dance.

Now that he was older, he knew this party was going to be different. Very different. His supiscions were proved true when Kairi burst through the door of the bedroom in the most revealing outfit yet.

"Close your mouth before you swallow some flies," she said smiling at him. She was standing in the doorway, one hand on her hip, amusement clearly written across her face.

Sora gawked. "But I'm not supposed to know your costume!"

"So what." She sauntered over to him and twirled on the spot. "You like?"

_It's certainly not what I expected_, he thought as he took in the black leather outfit. It looked similar to the costume he saw Halle Berry wearing in Catwoman with the leather straps and bra wrapped around her torso and the tight black leather pants. Not to mention the black cat-like mask she wore on her face.

"It's, uh, nice?" he managed.

Kairi beamed.

"Thanks! Now, let me look at you." She walked in a slow circle around him, a lot like Namine had done several days ago. She studied the black cape he was wearing, and rubbed her fingers back and forth over the smooth material of his tux.

"You look quite dashing in it Sora, but," she paused and tugged a brown spike. "I could recognize you from a mile away."

"Could you recognize me if I wore this?" He whipped out a white mask that covered the top half of his face, leaving only his mouth exposed.

She laughed. "Oh! Now I get it! You're kind of like the guy from Phantom of the Opera!"

He shrugged. "I guess so."

The outfit was simple and quite comfortable. And like Kairi said it did make him look dashing and mysterious.

"Well, you do look like someone else even with that hair. But if I tried to tame it with my best hair-spray products, it wouldn't work." She grinned and gave him a small hug. "Find me downstairs, ok?"

"All right."

He watched her leave the room with her cat tail swinging beside her.

Sora turned back to the mirror and gave himself a last look over. His nerves lessened a little, now that he knew what kairi's costume was. It would be pretty easy to find her with what she was wearing.

He adjusted his mask one last time and shot his reflection a wink. He was ready.

The downstairs of the house was alive with laughter and music in every room. The decorations did wonders for the atmosphere, with the bright colored streamers and the soft fluorescent lights dotting the walls. People were lounging on the huge sofa, chatting quietly in corners, and, already couples could be seen making out. The party only started five minutes ago.

Once at the bottom of the stairs, Sora looked around for Kairi. He was not surprised that she was nowhere in sight. The people nearest him stared at him, and one girl even looked like she was going to devour him on the spot. Feeling awkward all of a sudden, he made his way to the backyard in hopes of finding someone he knew. He had no clue what the rest of his friends were dressed up as and it only heightened the nervous twinge in his chest.

There were even more people out back. The noise blasting out of the sound system made his head spin and he could feel a small headache coming on.

He needed punch.

Sora was jostled a couple of times as he pushed his way through the crowd. His even tripped over someone's costume and he received a very annoyed look. It wasn't like it was his fault even! The girl was dragging a butt load of sparkly fabric behind her!

Finally, he managed to make it to the punch table and serve himself a cup. He then sat down at one of the round tables and observed the scene before him. He thought he saw a flash of silver out of the corner of his eye but it only turned out to be some guys sword that he was brandishing wildly about.

However, what did catch his attention was a figure on the dance floor. He couldn't really make out the face or whom they were dancing with because their back was to him, but all he knew was that the person danced like nothing he'd ever seen. Their movements were confident and fluid, almost graceful, and they went right along with the beat of the music. Sora could not tear his eyes away and he found himself needing to confront the figure swathed in all white. He was just getting out of his seat when a hand gently tapped him on the shoulder.

"Is this seat taken?"

Sora swiveled around his chair and was momentarily speechless. He couldn't help but stare at the man before him. He was gorgeous, that is, if you could call a guy that. Swallowing his nerves he looked up into the clear, blue eyes and shook his head.

The blonde smiled and sat down at the small table. He gave a sigh like he was exhausted and Sora wondered what was wrong.

"Er..would you like me to get you some punch?"

The blonde laughed. "No, it's all right." He raised a glass he had in his hand. "Thanks anyway." He ran a hand through his hair and looked out across the dance floor. Sora noted that the guy wasn't wearing a costume and instead dressed in well fitting, dark wash blue jeans and a simple, black t-shirt. He suddenly felt stupid with the mask over his face.

"Um..so, are you here for the party?"

With a far away look in his eyes the man answered, almost sadly.

"Yes, we are."

"We?"

The blonde looked at Sora like he finally realized Sora was there. "Oh, my boyfriend and I."

"Boyfriend?" Sora said incredulously.

He chuckled nervously and stuck out a hand. "I'm sorry, I never got your name. I'm Cloud by the way."

"Sora," the brunette said in return. "And, sorry about that, I just never really met..er.."

Cloud smiled and fiddled with the umbrella on his drink. "Don't worry about it. It's not a big deal, now that…" He faded off, staring out at the dance floor.

Sora didn't want to pry but, his curiosity got the better of him. "Now that..what?"

A sad smile crossed Cloud's face. "Now that we broke up."

Sora was lost for words. He never knew what it was like to break up in a relationship.

"I'm sorry," he managed.

Cloud shrugged. "It was going to happen sooner or later. We weren't getting along very well the past few weeks and to be honest, the shit hit the fan right before we came here. But we decided to come anyway."

Sora took a sip from his drink. "Oh."

"But anyway," the blonde re-crossed his legs and forced a cheery smile. "So, you friends with the host?"

"Yup."

"Her name's Selphie, right?"

"Uh, yeah. Do you know her well?"

"Not really. My boy - …I mean, I was invited by one of her friends, Kairi."

Sora's eyes lit up. "I know Kairi, we're good friends."

"And I think she dragged along Riku too."

At the mention of Riku's name, Sora's stomach flipped. He had been wondering about that boy for a while now. Where was Riku anyway?

"You know Riku?"

Cloud took another sip of his punch. "Of course. Doesn't everybody?"

"Er…"

The blonde waved a flippant hand. "You'll get to know him, trust me. It's hard not to."

Sora rubbed the back of his neck uneasily. "I actually met him earlier and he seemed rather quiet." He could still see silver hair dancing around aqua marine eyes, laughing at him and he felt heat spread through him. He unconsciously adjusted the way he was sitting.

"Yes, he is rather quiet isn't he?" Cloud said oblivious to Sora's discomfort. "He's so humble about it."

The brunette gulped down more punch. "What do you mean?"

"Oh you don't know?" Cloud tossed his head, his bangs falling to the side. "He's a model. And a very good one at that."

Sora was trying to digest that information as Cloud continued. "I don't know how he gets all those contracts to Calvin Klein and Gucci. It pisses me off that I'm stuck with Banana Republic."

Sora looked up. "You're a model too? Wow. I'm not surprised."

Cloud gave him a brilliant smile. "I can take that as a compliment." He shot Sora's mask a disapproving look. "Why don't you take that off?"

"What? Oh, this." Sora's hands flew up to the mask. "Sorry, I can't."

The blonde raised an eyebrow.

"Well, you know, the party rules…" Sora smiled sheepishly.

Cloud laughed. "I guess your right. But, I won't know you properly until I see your face. So make sure to catch up with me after the party."

Sora grinned. "All right."

"Good." Cloud stood up and tossed his cup in a near by trash bin. "I'm gonna get some food, wanna come?"

"No, thanks. I think I'm going to find Kairi."

"We'll good luck with that. It's packed here." He shot Sora a wink before turning to go.

It was the third time he blushed today and Sora was getting annoyed with himself. Why was he getting flustered all the time? It's not like he was attracted to Cloud or Riku……..

Was he?

Sora downed the remains of his drink and left the empty plastic cup on the table. He seriously needed to clear his thoughts, the headache that started earlier was buzzing at the back of his mind again, thanks to the loud music blaring from the dance floor speakers. He got up from where he was sitting and headed towards the other end of the yard, away from all music and action.

Night finally settled in and the sun could no longer be seen through the treetops. The party lights illuminated the area, accompanied by the twinkling stars over head. A soft breeze ruffled through the area, cooling Sora off, he didn't realize how hot he had been until now.

It was quiet enough that Sora could hear the grass and twigs crunch under his feet as he walked. The yard was frickin' huge and he was far enough away from the party under the shadow of the trees that nobody would see him. He felt oddly calm and decided to leave the yard completely and walk into the woods. It was much darker under the canopy of the trees, the stars could not be seen and he could barely see where he was going. He laughed at himself for choosing to leave the party and instead walk around the woods like a blind man. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a twig snap behind him.

Sora froze. He whipped around to peer into the darkness. Was somebody following him? It seemed unlikely because nobody saw him leave the grounds. He strained to hear any movement.

Silence met his ears and he shrugged the thought off. He kept on walking knowing his mind was just playing tricks on him.

After a few minutes a second sound, like breaking branches made him stop in his tracks again. Ok, now this was getting freaky. Sora pivoted on the spot and took off his mask to see more clearly. Unfortunately it didn't do much help because he was far enough in the woods that it was nearly pitch black and there were no lights from the party to guide him.

He cursed himself silently for being so foolish as to go this far and started walking back in the direction he thought he came from. It wasn't until five minutes later when he heard another sound behind him, much closer this time. Instead of stopping, he picked up his pace and tore blindly through the brush, his costume snagging on the many branches around his legs.

Now he definitely knew somebody was following him, the sound of their footsteps on the forest floor could clearly be heard behind him. He found himself running, his heart beating a million times faster and he breathed a big sigh of relief (if he could that is while running) when he saw the lights of the parties through the trees. He slowed down and came to a stop, reassured that civilization was near by. The person who had followed him at first scared the shit out of him, but now he was just plain annoyed that someone would pull this kind of trick on him.

Sora turned on his heel, ready to face whoever it was. The blood pounded in his ears in anticipation and he stood his ground as the footsteps came closer and closer. Before he knew it, the person barreled into him and Sora was sprawled on the ground with a heavy weight on top of him.

Blinking through the slight daze he was in, Sora opened his eyes to come face to face with a white mask, much like his own. He gasped in surprise and pushed them off prepared to get up and run away from his attacker. His actions were stopped however by a pull to his cloak. Startled, he looked down and sure enough the person was clinging to his costume as if it were their lifeline.

"Get off of me," Sora ground out, trying to yank it out of their grasp.

The person did not relent and Sora sighed, exasperated. "Look, if you came to tell me something, just tell me so I can go."

The figure in white did not answer him and instead stood up to come nose to nose with the brunette. Sora's mind whirled when he realized that this was the person who he saw dancing so sensually before on the dance floor. He gulped once or twice when a hand came up to cradle the side of his cheek.

"Um…what are you doing?" Sora stammered. He had no idea who this person was, and that just freaked him out more.

The fingers on his cheek stroked his face tenderly, and before he knew what was happening a pair of lips descended on his own. Sora gasped and struggled to get away but another hand held him firmly in place by gripping his waist tightly. He was panicking and he knew it, his mind was screaming to get away but these were the softest lips he had ever felt. They caressed his gently, and every now and then tenderly kissing the corners of his mouth.

Sora ceased his struggling and figured he might as well give in. This mouth was just too irresistible. Having not responded to the kiss before, he now did and parted his mouth a little more to allow better access. A tongue swiped his bottom lip and he shivered from the contact. It was a sensation he had never experienced before and he found he thoroughly enjoyed it.

Throwing caution to the wind, Sora brought his hands up to rest on the other person's shoulders. He let them relax there and he felt the hand on his waist tighten. He felt himself blush hearing the wet noises their kiss was making and heat spread through him, starting from his toes and traveling up. Not feeling so shy anymore, he hesitantly brushed his tonuge against the other bottom lip and was delighted when the other person sighed with pleasure and devoured his mouth even more.

The hand that had been at his face was now joined with the other and Sora felt himself tugged even closer to the other body until he was flushed up against them. Instinctly he tightened his hold on the other person's neck and moaned when they started tracing small circles in the small of his back.

Sora had never felt this good in his whole life. Every nerve of his being was on fire, and his mind screamed for more and more. He let him sink into complete bliss, forgetting everything from his disheveled state, to the woods around him, and even the party that was going on just ahead. But then, just as quickly as the lips appeared they vanished, and Sora was left stunned for several seconds. The body before him had slipped smoothly and cleanly from his grip and Sora opened his eyes, meeting nothing but darkness.

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review? please? thanks! I knew you would!

The next chapter should be out in two weeks at the latest. And I promise that it won't be longer than that!


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